Blake Belladonna: Matchmaker
by ObeseCommando
Summary: Blake predicts that Ruby and Weiss are headed for a relationship and decides to hasten the process.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1:

Blake sat on her bed in the empty dorm room. The sun was setting on a beautiful day spent on homework. The essay writing had left her feeling like she had just run a set of iron claws over her brain, and she needed to do something that wasn't school related before she went insane. She looked at the empty beds across the room from her and felt a mischievous smirk forming as she thought about her two teammates. Ruby and Weiss had become friends, which had thankfully ended most of their arguing. Yang had almost thrown a celebration when the heiress had gone a day without questioning Ruby's intelligence. Blake had been happy, too, but over the months, there had been the hints of something else, the possible signs of a deeper relationship.

Once Blake had seen the signs, she couldn't get the thought out of her head.

She had witnessed the longer, deeper eye contact Weiss gave Ruby which always ended with the faintest smattering of color on the heiress' cheeks. She had seen the prolonged hugs Ruby gave Weiss with noticeably increasing regularity. Though the two still had their arguments, Blake's sensitive hearing still caught the little sighs that the two partners unconsciously gave each other. Or maybe she imagined the last one, but she still knew where the two were headed, no matter how much they tried to hide their burning faces from each other and the world. Perhaps they just needed a little bit of encouragement.

Blake blinked and her smirk threatened to turn into a grin. She reached for her diary and pen to write down the beginnings of a plan. When she turned to a blank page, Blake paused for a moment, tapping the pen against her chin. A proper plan needed a name. A spark set off in Blake's mind and she wrote "Operation White Rose" on top of the page.

"Perfect," she said. The same boredom that decided it would be a good idea to coerce two teammates into a relationship caused her to add a doodle of Ruby and Weiss surrounded by hearts. She looked over her work and, finding it to be satisfactory, gave a nod. Was it supposed to be so fun plotting something so devious? She was about to write the first part of the plan when the door opened and Ruby walked in. Blake felt her heart rate spike and closed the diary.

"Ugh," Ruby groaned theatrically and dropped her books on the floor. "Today has been awful."

Blake didn't say anything. She wanted to see how long Ruby could carry on. Maybe she had acquired some of Weiss' ability to be a drama queen. Unfortunately, the performance was cut short when Ruby realized that she wasn't alone. The young girl appeared next to Blake in a shower of rose petals.

"Hey, Blake. What's up? Having fun writing in your diary?" Ruby asked.

Blake was in the middle of brushing roses off of her shoulder when she felt her face heat up. "How did you know this was my diary?"

It was Ruby's turn to blush. When her face was the color of her cloak, she squeaked, "Lucky guess?"

That wasn't the look of someone who hadn't opened the diary. What did Ruby know? Did she know about the many entries dedicated to Yang? No one would blush that hard if they didn't. Ideas for interrogation techniques popped into Blake's head. She would need a dark, secluded room, a length of rope, and some water. Maybe a large battery, but she would only use that if Ruby didn't cooperate. But then again, someone like Ruby could probably take a little bit of electricity. She was so energetic already; she would probably charge the battery. No harm done. Before Blake could reach for Ruby, the door opened again and Weiss walked in.

The heiress' appearance was much less dramatic than Ruby's, but it was enough to dispel the awkward tension brewing in the room. Blake noticed that it also restored Ruby's spirits. Most likely Ruby saw the evil intentions brewing behind Blake's eyes and decided Weiss could protect her.

"Hi, Weiss!" the energetic team leader shouted, suddenly appearing next to the heiress and wrapping her in a bear hug.

The sudden contact took Weiss by surprise. "Let go of me, you dunce!" Weiss yelled, but the words held no malice.

"But I missed you!" Ruby said in a sing-song tone. She tried to spin Weiss around but caught her foot on the books still left on the floor. Ruby let out a surprised squeak and started to fall, forcing Weiss to support Ruby's weight. The heiress managed to make them fall on her bed instead of the floor. Blake heard Ruby's giggling and saw Weiss' smile when the heiress sat up.

"Oh, Blake. I didn't know you were there," Weiss said.

"I'm not surprised," Blake said. She smirked and added, "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Ruby and Weiss gave a confused look. The similarity of the expressions was almost uncanny. "Interrupting what?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing," Blake said and hid behind her diary. She pretended to be busy, but she lowered the book enough to keep an eye on the two future lovers.

Weiss had gotten up and was stretching. Ruby was still sitting cross-legged on Weiss' bed. Blake raised an eyebrow. How come the heiress hadn't kicked Ruby off yet? Even though the two were friends, it was still strange to see Weiss let anyone stay on her bed. Blake could still remember her ears ringing from Weiss' admonishments when Yang had messed with the heiress' sheets. But there Ruby was, sitting happily on the very bed that had almost spelled the end of her sister's life. Had the partners' relationship already progressed before the plan started?

"Who wants some coffee?" Weiss asked, voice devoid of irritation.

"Ooo, me!" Ruby said, enthusiastically putting her hand in the air.

"You pick up your books before someone breaks their neck," Weiss said.

Ruby pouted. "You don't know that they're my books."

Weiss put a hand on her hip and cocked an eyebrow. "Yes I do. Blake would rather shoot herself in the foot before letting her books be left on the floor, I just got back, and Yang isn't here." Ruby groaned and slid off of the bed. Weiss turned to Blake and said, "Well?"

Blake shrugged."So long as you're offering."

"How do you take it?"

"Black."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I should have known."

Blake made a note in her diary that Weiss didn't ask Ruby about her coffee. _They keep going at this rate, I won't have to do anything, _Blake thought. She tapped her pen against her chin. What could she do to quicken the process? She took a sip of the coffee that appeared next to her. She didn't particularly care for the drink, but Weiss had been doing her little favors to make up for the argument they had about the White Fang. For someone like Weiss, who had a hard time swallowing her own pride to apologize, the gesture said a lot. Blake appreciated it, even though knew she wasn't going to get any sleep that night. But that was a problem for the future, and Blake went back to observing.

Ruby was on her bed and Weiss was at a desk. Both were studying. Blake took another sip, amber eyes focusing on the ropes keeping Ruby's bed up. Maybe, if one of the ropes were to fail, and render one of them without a bed, then they would have to share one. Blake frowned. The plan sounded good, but was she capable of doing that sort of reckless destruction? It wouldn't exactly be fair to her teammates, especially if it would lead to one of them sleeping on the floor. Blake bit the inside of her cheek and looked between the two partners again. Ruby was next to Weiss, asking about something in her textbook. They were both smiling.

Those smiles were all the convincing Blake needed to make up her mind. She would destroy the bed. She just had to make sure she wouldn't get caught, and everything else would fall into place.

A/N: I'll upload a part each day, but if you want to continue the story now, check it out on dA!


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Making the bed fall had been so simple that it was terrifying. Had Weiss been around, Blake had no doubt that the heiress would have had a heart attack. After all, Blake had barely pulled one of the ropes before the bed came loose. Instead of falling down as she had planned, the unbalanced bed swung on the remaining rope and turned at a perfect right angle before falling. The foot of Ruby's bed cut through Weiss' bed like the blades of the guillotines that Oobleck had gone into great detail about.

Blake tapped one of the halves of Weiss' bed with her foot, not daring to think about what would have happened if the heiress had been sleeping there if the bed fell. She abandoned the thought instantly and shrugged. She wished she had recorded the event, if only to convince herself that it had actually happened.

The destruction caused her to look at her own bed, supporting Yang's with nothing but a few books, and felt a chill run up her spine. What if the same thing had happened to her? She couldn't imagine dying by a bed falling on her. Blake shook the poisonous thought out of her head. If the plan succeeded, Ruby and Weiss would soon need a new bed, which would mean that Yang would have to give hers up, and then Blake could sleep without fear of being cut in half. But that would be later. The deed had been done and Blake wasn't keen on being in the room when someone came to find out what the horrible, crunching noise had been. Before she jumped out the window, she spared one last look at the devastation and thought about how brave the heiress had to be to sleep there every night.

Dinner in the cafeteria often consisted of a mad dash between Ruby and Yang to the front of the line to make sure they could find an empty table. The other two members of Team RWBY would follow up at a slower pace, both knowing that there were plenty of tables in the cafeteria for the entirety of the student body. They would often joke about the two sisters and have a good laugh. This time, Weiss watched her two team mates make a spectacle by herself. She bit her tongue to avoid saying anything out loud, lest someone else hear and think she was talking to herself. Blake's absence made itself known, and Weiss felt a tinge of concern. She looked over her shoulder and expected to see a black bow bobbing towards her.

Instead, all she saw was the disturbing levels of affection displayed by a certain Pyrrha Nikos for an oblivious Jaune Arc. The heiress shook her head and picked up a tray. She didn't need to see Pyrrha throwing herself at the scraggly blond. She would like to still have an appetite before getting to the table. The heiress grabbed a few plates from the counter without a care. She just wanted to get as far away from the two members of Team JNPR as soon as possible.

Only after she was out of the line and walking towards Ruby and Yang did she realize she had picked up a piece of cherry pie with a large serving of whipped cream. Weiss looked at the desert and shrugged. She often skipped dessert, but her arms and legs were burning from the evening's training, and she felt that all of the work she had done wouldn't be undone by something sweet.

Ruby felt Yang tap her shoulder and realized her sister had been talking to her. She blinked a few times before asking, "What's up?"

"Finally, something got through!" Yang pumped her fists triumphantly into the air.

"Sorry, sis. I've just been thinking about stuff."

Yang lowered her fists and picked up her fork. "Oh yeah? What about?" She skewered a pile of macaroni and ate it.

"Um, just some stuff," Ruby said, turning her gaze to her plate. She idly pushed her food around. Yang put an arm over Ruby's shoulders.

"Hey, you know you can talk to me about anything," Yang said.

"I know, I know, it's just kind of embarrassing." Ruby looked towards the line and noticed Weiss was walking towards them. Despite all of the training that the team was coming from, the heiress still managed to look immaculate. Her clothes still looked snow white and pressed, and there was not a hair out of place. The only indication that she had been doing anything strenuous was a smattering of color on her pale skin that made her scar less noticeable. Ruby felt a slight blush form on her cheeks. "Do you see Blake anywhere?"

Yang blinked at the change in topic, but she humored her sister and looked around the cafeteria. "Nope," she drawled. "She's probably in the library again."

"I see Blake isn't here," Weiss said, putting her tray down and sitting in front of Ruby. The team leader noted that the heiress usually sat next to her. A quick glance confirmed that there was, indeed, an empty seat there.

"Yes I am." Blake appeared out of nowhere, face flushed and a too-casual smirk on her lips.

The rest of Team RWBY stared at Blake. Amber eyes quickly shifted around the room.

Yang broke the silence. "Well, alright, go get some food then. I've got to tell you guys what happened in class earlier."

Blake was all too willing to leave the situation. Ruby was envious of the speed that the black-haired girl demonstrated. She didn't know what to make of Blake's sudden change in personality. Maybe there was something troubling her? Ruby took a bite of broccoli and chewed it slowly. What could make the usually calm and collected girl uneasy? Her eyes widened as an old bit of knowledge floated to the front of her mind. Maybe Penny had been right and Blake really was a man!

"She's been doing this all day," Yang said. "I wouldn't be too annoyed about it."

"It's still rude," Weiss said.

"Have you two been talking about me?" Ruby asked.

"No, we were talking about how Jaune is finally going to realize Pyrrha wants to bone him," Yang said.

Weiss wasn't even fazed by the lewd comment and looked at Ruby. "You were staring," she said matter-of-factly. "It's rude."

"I'm sorry!" Ruby said. She immediately looked away. "Just not used to you sitting over there, is all," Ruby added with a chuckle.

Weiss shrugged. "Just felt like changing it up."

Blake returned at that exact moment. She put her tray down, which was laden with tuna casserole, and pulled out her diary. Ruby squinted at the book. She hadn't told anyone else that it was Blake's diary, but given the speed with which the black-haired girl was writing, she was recording something big.

Ruby took a deep breath and shook her head. She had been doing too much thinking and not enough eating. Perhaps she would be able to focus on something after her stomach was full. The redhead picked another piece of broccoli and resolved to put Blake's odd behavior out of her mind for the moment.

Dinner passed and Team RWBY dispersed for the few hours before bed. However, when Weiss turned the corner and found Ruby, Yang, and Blake in the hall, she was instantly suspicious. Ruby looked worried, Yang had been laughing, and Blake was indifferent. Weiss walked past her teammates and took one glance into their room. When she saw what remained of her bed, she clutched at her heart. "What happened?" She screeched when she got her voice back.

Yang looked at Weiss' face and laughed again. "Oh man, that is awesome! Just imagine if you were asleep when that happened!"

"I am!" Weiss crossed her arms. "Ugh, I knew these bunk beds were a terrible idea!"

"No you didn't, princess," Yang said when she caught her breath. "I hear that you secretly liked them."

Weiss' face flushed. "That was before my bed was cut in two! Now where am I going to sleep?"

"Oh yeah, that is a good question." Yang looked between the two ruined beds and the two whole beds. "Welp, I guess you can just sleep on the floor."

Weiss looked like Yang had just suggested that they go out and kick a puppy. "Absolutely not!"

Ruby walked over and poked her mangled mattress. Her worried expression had faded. "Now what are we going to do?" she asked.

"Don't worry, little sis," Yang said, putting her arm over Ruby's shoulder and bringing her sister in for a hug. "You can sleep with me! It'll be just like when we were growing up!"

"Please stop," Ruby groaned, trying to get out of her sister's grasp. She took a large breath when Yang let her go.

"What about me?" Weiss asked.

"Oh, well, the floor is still open," Yang said. "Or you can sleep with Blake, if she doesn't mind."

The three teammates looked at Blake. She had been leaning against the wall and, under such scrutiny, almost raised her hand to her mouth. With effort, she lowered it back to her side, but she was still being watched, and it clearly made her uncomfortable.

Blake was screaming inside.

If Ruby was going to sleep with Yang, then the plan wouldn't work. What could she do to put the two teammates in the same bed? She looked around the room and was struck with inspiration, though she knew she would have to swallow her pride. _On the plus side,_ Blake reasoned, _this will let me know just how much work I'm in for_.

"Yeah, Weiss, you can sleep with me," Blake said. She tried to sound seductive, but she put her hands on Weiss' shoulders to drive the point home. The heiress stiffened and Blake took the opportunity to whisper, "You won't regret it."

Yang burst with laughter. "Oh man, Blake," she said while wiping the tears out of her eyes. "I didn't know you had that in you!" Ruby looked confused and said nothing, which Blake noted.

Weiss had tried to get out of Blake's grip with no success. "Let me go!"

"Mmm, but I don't want to." Blake pulled the heiress closer, until there was no space between their bodies. Internally, Blake was yelling at herself even more. She knew that she would never hear the end of this performance. "Maybe I just want to take you into my bed so badly that I don't want to wait another minute."

"Ugh, no!" Weiss was thrashing to get away from Blake. "Yang, control your partner!"

"I dunno, I kinda like where this is going." Yang put a hand on her hip and offered a large smile.

"Well, what if you and Blake shared a bed?" Ruby asked her sister. Yang raised an eyebrow at that. "Then Weiss and I could take the other." Ruby looked at her partner and lowered her voice. "If that's okay with you?"

"That sounds lovely," Weiss squeaked. Blake finally let go and the heiress wasted no time in getting as far away as she could and glared at the black haired girl. Her face was red, but Blake couldn't tell if it was embarrassment or anger. Given Weiss' record, it was most likely a mix of both.

Blake didn't have time to think further before Yang pulled her in. "Well? Are you eager to sleep with me?" The blonde gave an exaggerated wink, which Blake could only laugh at.

So far, the plan had proceeded smoothly. The only casualty had been her dignity. She made a check on the list in her mind and was already thinking about the next order of business.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

The sun shone brightly on the streets of downtown Vale. Yang walked alongside Ruby, keeping an eye on her sister to make sure she didn't run back to their dorm. It was a rare day for the two sisters to be on their own in town, and Yang wanted to finally figure out why Ruby had been acting so strange. Blake's initial, and only, lustful advances toward Weiss in the past week hadn't made it any easier for Yang to drag Ruby out of the heiress' sight. She had never seen her sister become so protective of another person. Since they had left the dorm and their partners, Ruby had kept looking over her shoulder as if she had expected to hear breaking pottery and Weiss crying for help. Yang had been secretly hoping to hear those sounds herself, if only for another laugh.

"Alright, spill the beans," Yang said, reaching over to tap Ruby on the shoulder.

Ruby blinked. Her eyes had been glued firmly to the ground ever since they had stepped off the airship. "What are you talking about?"

"That!" Yang pointed an accusing finger at Ruby. "You've been moping around for weeks now and you never talk about it! It's starting to drive me insane!"

Ruby's eyes widened and she took a step back. Yang blinked and realized she had partially ignited herself. The blonde took a deep breath and put a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I'm just worried about you," she said, voice softening.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Ruby said.

Yang saw Ruby had bit her lip and started to play with the hem of her cloak. The blonde offered her most reassuring smile and pulled her little sister in for a hug. It had been enough to calm her down in the past.

"I don't know how to say this," Ruby said, voice muffled by Yang's coat.

"Best way is to just get it over with," Yang said. She put her hands on Ruby's shoulders and looked her sister in the eye. Ruby's nervous frown slowly turned into a nervous smile.

The redhead opened her mouth and looked everywhere but Yang. Finally, she blurted, "It's Weiss. No, she hasn't been picking on me!" Ruby quickly added. Yang had unintentionally tightened her grip. She took her hands off of Ruby and allowed her to proceed.

"Just, when she's around, my head starts to spin a bit, and my heart starts beating more. It's not like when I'm fighting, except that it kind of is. It almost feels a bit like when I first made Crescent Rose." Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Yang, are you okay?"

The blonde's reassuring smile had turned into a wide, bright grin. She brought her sister in for another, crushing hug. "Oh I am so proud of yooooouuuuuuuu!" Yang squealed, hoisting Ruby off of the ground and spinning around.

"Can't breathe," Ruby chocked out.

"Sorry!" Yang dropped Ruby, but she couldn't stop herself from bouncing. "I know exactly what's up!"

"Really?" Ruby's silver eyes lit up.

"Uh-huh! You've got your first crush!"

Ruby's face fell. She pursed her lips and said, "A crush?"

Yang put her arm around Ruby's shoulders and forced her to start walking again. "Yep! When an adorable girl like you finds someone that you really, really like, then you start to want to be around that person all the time. And then, before you know it, you're in love."

The aspect of love made Ruby break out in a sweat. Yang felt Ruby's shoulders rising and falling. Yang was about to ask if Ruby would like to stop by the hospital when she said, "But… I like you, Yang."

Watching Ruby trying to understand what was happening was enough to make Yang want to dance. It hadn't been everyday that she was able to witness such adorable naiveté. Maybe if Weiss had been around it would melt some of the ice off of her.

"Entirely different, little sister. You don't like me in the same way. Your head isn't spinning right now, is it?"

"Only from the lack of air."

"You should be used to my hugs by now."

Ruby shook her head and focused on the stores they were passing by. "Even if I did like Weiss in some way other than a friend, what good would it be? I doubt she'd even like someone like me."

Yang raised an eyebrow. Someone like Ruby? What wasn't there to love about a young girl that accidentally set off a gigantic explosion on their first day at Beacon? Yang bit the inside of her cheek.

"Well, I think she would like you quite a bit."

Ruby stopped walking. Yang let her sister slip out from under her arm before turning to face her. Ruby pointed a finger at Yang. "You're being really supportive about all of this and it's really starting to freak me out!"

Yang didn't know if she should laugh. She thought better of it when she saw Ruby's eyes mist over. She spread her arms wide and said, "Why wouldn't I be? You're my sister, Ruby. I won't think any different of you if you want to be in a relationship with Weiss."

The words broke through whatever resolve Ruby had left. The tears started falling and she threw herself against Yang. This time, it was the blonde's turn to receive a bear hug. Yang just smiled and returned the favor, gently, as Ruby cried. But the blonde was unsure of how to react to the situation. Was Ruby upset? Was she sad? Did she think that Yang was going to hate her because of her preferences? Instead of asking questions, Yang settled on humming a song that she had sang to Ruby since they were young. They had both settled on calling it "Gold." Some people had paused to give them odd looks, but Yang glared at them until they went away. When Ruby had stopped crying, Yang said, "Better?"

"Yeah." Ruby cleared her throat. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that."

Yang felt her heart race. How long had Ruby been keeping that secret in? She let Ruby go. "Well, now you don't have to worry about it. You know I'd never think of leaving you."

"Although you did ditch me when we got to Beacon," Ruby said with a smile.

Yang theatrically gasped. "Hey, if I didn't do that, you would never have met your future girlfriend!" She crossed her arms. "If anything, I'd say I'm the best wingman ever."

Ruby laughed, and it wasn't long before both of them were laughing hard enough to make other people cross the street to avoid them. Yang didn't care. She was just glad that Ruby was smiling again. Yang wiped a tear from her eye and said, "Come on, there's still plenty of time left in the day to do something."

Ruby nodded. She was out of breath again, and each time she had enough air to speak, it came out as a giggle.

When they had walked a block in silence, Yang leaned in and said, "So, the sleeping arrangement has been pretty tight. You ever, uh, get a feel in?"

Ruby's face turned as red as her cloak. She pulled her hood on and rubbed her hands together. "Accidentally," she whispered.

"Oh, I gotta hear about this."

"I didn't mean to! I just woke up one day and Weiss had rolled over in her sleep, and her chest was on my hand."

Yang let out a low whistle. "What'd it feel like?" she asked with a sly grin.

"I'm not telling you that!" Ruby shouted. A man that had been crossing the street promptly turned around despite the crosswalk light telling him not to.

"Fine, be that way!" Yang said. She looked at the shop windows they were passing and said, "So, what do you want to do now?"

Ruby frowned and looked around as well. Then she inhaled loudly and exploded in a bunch of rose petals. Yang brushed the petals away and saw Ruby in front of a gift store. The blonde offered an amused smirk and followed her sister into the store.

The store smelled like mothballs and was full of trinkets in glass cases. However, the glass storefront ensured that plenty of light was let in. The light also showed the ugly, pink paint that covered the walls. Yang fought the urge to cover her nose and saw her reflection in each case she passed. The trinkets stared back at her with their black, porcelain eyes. She never understood why someone would collect the soulless things. She spotted Ruby filling out a form at the counter and moved to join her.

"What's that?" Yang asked when she joined her sister. She ignored the motherly looking employee that was behind the counter.

"They can put a message on stuff. I'm getting Weiss a coffee mug," Ruby said. Her head was in Yang's way, so the blonde was unable to read the message.

Regardless, Yang had to restrain herself from squealing at the cuteness of the act. She instead leaned on the counter and noticed the little smile Ruby had developed. A smile of her own developed. Ruby was truly smitten by the icy heiress. Yang internally shrugged. She knew Weiss wouldn't hurt her sister intentionally, and they did enjoy spending time with each other. Maybe things could work out between them.

The two sisters had gotten on the first airship to Beacon after Ruby had gotten her mug. She had refused to let Yang see what was imprinted on its surface. The curiosity was killing Yang. But then again, the weight of the day hadn't done her any favors. Yang yawned and almost fell asleep on the airship, despite the lack of seating. Ruby had to drag her up the stairs to the dorm, even though the redhead was bouncing with eagerness to see Weiss.

When they entered the dorm room to find it empty, Yang internally cheered. Her eyes focused on her bed. Ruby said something about finding a place to hide the mug. Yang just waved a hand and shuffled over before flopping unceremoniously on the bed.

Something jabbed painfully into her side. Yang swore and moved the sheets aside to find a book. It was filled with a neat, flowing script that she immediately recognized as Blake's.

"Oh crap, is this her diary?" Yang mumbled. She was about to close it when she saw a doodle on the page. She squinted at the doodle and Yang felt her heart jump into her throat. It was a picture of Ruby and Weiss surrounded by hearts. The line above the doodle read "Operation White Rose."

Yang slowly closed the diary and tried to swallow past the knot forming in her throat. She knew Ruby was still around and was trying to be quiet so she could nap, but Yang no longer felt tired. Her head was filled with so many new questions, but they all took her down the same route. She was going to have to have a nice little chat with Blake.

The act of creating a love potion was innocent enough, Blake decided. Alchemy could be as soothing as the cures it produced. And if the cure was for two, longing hearts that wanted to be together, well, Blake didn't see the harm in giving them the help they needed. It was also something to do during a lazy Sunday afternoon and kept her away from Weiss, who had disappeared as soon as Ruby and Yang went into town. Blake covered her mouth and yawned.

Just because Beacon was a renowned fighting school did not mean that they were efficient in replacing the beds. Of course, none of her teammates had raised any complaints, although Blake could certainly complain about Yang's sleeping habits. She hadn't realized that the blonde tossed and turned as much as she did. But in order for the plan to work, Blake was willing to sleep with the blonde. Besides, there was a diary entry on page 77 about a fantasy where Blake could wake up with Yang every day of her life. Reality was hardly as appealing.

The flame underneath the flask flickered in the calm breeze and Blake smiled at her work. She turned to check the next step in the process.

She found herself being face to face with Yang instead.

Even with her heightened senses, Blake hadn't heard the blonde coming. The surprise was almost enough to give her a heart attack. Yang just offered a sweet smile.

"What's up? It's a great day out and you're cooped up here with your boring science projects?" Yang waved a hand towards the window, which showed the sunny day, even though the sun was setting.

"I guess I am," Blake said when she finally got her emotions under control.

"That's boring. Even Weiss managed to go out and enjoy the day, and that's saying something," Yang said. She leaned closer and Blake fought hard to not look at her partner's considerable chest. It was too close for comfort. The words in her diary floated before her eyes, about Yang and her contagious laughter, her warmth, her beautiful hair. Blake felt her face flush and had to turn back to the book.

"Surprised to hear that. Maybe the sun will melt some of that ice around her heart." The words came out harsher than she had intended.

Yang raised an eyebrow then shrugged. "It might. Ruby wanted to show her something. I offered to go, but she really didn't want me to. Kinda sucks."

Blake paused. Ruby and Weiss were out together. Ruby had specifically told Yang, her beloved sister, that she had to stay behind? That sounded like a date! She almost squealed with excitement before she realized that Yang was still standing right next to her, waiting for some sort of response. Blake cleared her throat. "Yep. Sucks."

Yang nodded and crossed her arms. "Seems like it's just you and me, then."

Blake's mouth went dry. The observation was friendly enough, but the way Yang kept clenching and unclenching her fists made Blake uneasy. "So it would seem."

Yang chuckled, lilac eyes shifting to the book for a moment. "So who is that love potion there for?"

The book. Blake had forgotten about it. She swore inwardly and forced herself to remain calm. There was no point in closing the book now. "No one in particular. Like I said, I was bored."

"Really? Seems like an awfully specific recipe to do when you're bored." Yang circled around the table. Blake wished someone else would come in. Maybe it would stop Yang's line of inquiry. She resisted the urge to look at the door.

"Yeah, well, maybe I just wanted to do something." The words sounded hollow, childish. Blake lowered her ears. Yang's smile was too friendly and Blake waited for that big smile to tear into her.

Yang spread her arms. "Hey, I'm not gonna judge. We all gotta have our hobbies." She pointed to herself. "I personally like to look at flowers. Wanna guess my favorite type of flower?"

Blake's heartbeat was pounding in her ears. Yang must've heard it, judging from how she put her hands on the black tabletop and leaned forward. Her lilac eyes had lost their warmth. Was she expecting an answer? Blake swallowed and said, "Uh, sunflowers?"

"White roses."

"I can explain!" Blake sputtered before she could stop herself.

"Please do."

Blake shifted on her stool, trying to maintain Yang's stare, but she couldn't stop herself from looking around the room. There were counters, tables, a gigantic chalkboard, jars full of experiments and chemicals, and absolutely no one else in the room. How could she have been fearless in countless Faunus protests but now she wanted to run and hide? Blake took a deep breath to compose herself.

"It was a month or so ago when I noticed your sister and Weiss were being a little friendlier than usual. I thought that they complimented each other well, and they seemed to make each other happy, so I figured it'd be okay to just give them a little push."

Yang's face was impassive, but the blonde's fist audibly popped. "A little push?"

"As in dating," Blake said lamely. She looked at her boots. It all sounded so petty when it was said out loud.

"So you figured that, just because Ruby and Weiss became friends and enjoyed each other's company, you'd push them into a relationship?"

Blake nodded.

"And that's what the love potion is for?"

Blake nodded at the rhetorical question.

Yang didn't say a word.

The air filled with tension. Blake could feel it all rest between her shoulder blades. She wanted to scream apologies, but she couldn't get enough air to utter a whisper. Her skin was covered in goose bumps, and she swore her vision was becoming blurry. Blake shook her head and was able to look up at Yang.

The blonde's face was turning between anger, confusion, and pain. None of them were close to the big smile that she often wore; a smile that Blake wanted to see but knew she didn't deserve to.

Yang opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "I am very disappointed in you."

The words pierced Blake's heart. Her eyes started to burn, but Yang wasn't done.

"If you thought that their relationship was going to take such a turn, it wasn't your place to jump in and play with it. I know you thought you were doing a good thing, and I'm not even going to ask why you thought you had to do what you did. Truth be told, I don't know if you did anything about their current situation outside of the beds, which was completely hilarious." Yang's voice was cold. The blonde took a deep, shuddering breath.

"You know how much I love my sister. You know that I respect and appreciate you and Weiss. But if anything you've done hurts either of them, I do not even know what I would do." Yang closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were flickering between lilac and red. "Finish up your love potion or do whatever you want to do with the rest of the day, but you are going to leave those two alone. They're big girls. They can work this relationship stuff out for themselves." She leaned close and hissed, "Got that?"

Blake nodded, too shocked to speak.

"Good." Yang stepped back and started towards the door. "Don't be late for dinner this time," she said over her shoulder.

The door closed behind Yang, and then Blake was alone.


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

Blake sat on her bed and closed her eyes to remember the last few moments of her life.

She had ripped the pages about Operation White Rose out of her diary while screaming her head off because of her conversation with Yang a few days ago. Since she had been discovered, Yang had made sure to interject herself in small ways to make sure Blake was never too close to Ruby or Weiss. There was never an empty chair next to the two girls in class, Yang always had something fun to say to Ruby, and there was even a time, when Ruby was in the shower, that Yang maintained a long and involved conversation with Weiss about the painting she had put up on the wall. Blake wouldn't have been able to go through with her plans even if she had them. Finally, the pressure had become too much and she tore apart her diary.

The resounding silence in the dorm made her uncomfortable. She punched her pillow and took no solace in the soft _thwump_. Maybe she shouldn't have even done anything. Her bow twitched and she covered her face with her hands. There was no good reason behind her actions, either! She had just been bored! Blake groaned loudly and thought of how one side of a Ruby doodle had fallen next to a shredded Weiss. The black haired girl wanted to burn them. Saner minds had prevailed, but she felt the drawings looking at her from the trash can.

The door opened. Blake opened her eyes to see Weiss poking her head in, scanning the whole dorm before coming in and closing the door gently. She stayed there, facing the door, and rested her forehead against it for a minute. Blake saw the heiress' shoulders were shaking, but she refrained from speaking. Maybe she was just tired from training? No, that wouldn't explain her surveillance of the room before coming in.

When Weiss turned around, Blake saw her face was red and she kept wringing her hands. She stepped closer to Blake, icy blue eyes misting over, and said, "Blake, you're the only one around who I can talk to about this. Do you think you could maybe help me with something?"

Blake looked over the fidgeting heiress. Seeing the normally confident and boisterous Huntress-in-training reduced to a skittish and scared girl forced Blake to blink. Her immaculate, white hair was frayed and her ponytail looked like it was about to come loose. The jacket and combat skirt both looked pressed and well-maintained, made more noticeable by the wreck that Weiss was. Blake's chest tightened, and she wanted to double over as the horrible pain that still festered was making itself known again.

Despite it all, Blake couldn't help but wonder if her work was finally paying off. She closed her eyes momentarily, forcing herself to not shed any tears, and then looked at Weiss once more. The heiress' disheveled appearance bothered her, and Blake felt the urge to poke a little fun at her distressed teammate to lighten the mood. Summoning a small smirk, Blake said, "Sure, if I can keep my insatiable sexual appetite in check."

Weiss' face flushed deeper and her scar became more visible. "Will you stop doing that? I am so not in the mood for those sorts of games!" she yelled. Weiss looked down at her clenched fists and took a deep breath. "Besides," she lowered her voice and looked at the floor, "I think I'd rather do that with someone else."

Life started to flow through Blake's veins. She forced herself to not jump off the bed and cheer at the news. With effort, she maintained her usual look of indifference, or at least she thought she did. "Do tell. Who is the lucky man?"

Weiss was as red as the inside of her coat, but she managed to look Blake in the eye as she said, "I-uh-it's a girl, actually."

Blake sat up from her reclined position. Weiss shifted her weight to her right foot and Blake could tell that the heiress' discomfort was growing under the increased scrutiny. The black haired girl tried to offer a reassuring smile. "Alright, who is the lucky girl?"

"It's," Weiss crossed her arms over her chest and looked around the room. She clenched her jaw and her shoulders started to rise and fall rapidly. The heiress took a deep breath and said, "It's Ruby."

Blake's smile widened and she motioned for Weiss to continue.

However, it seemed that Weiss was either unwilling to speak out of nerves or a daydream. Her icy eyes had completely glazed over. Blake sighed and asked, "Where did that come from?"

Weiss shook her head and a nervous, dopey smile spread across her lips. "It's been a while, actually. I've been ignoring it for most of the time, but being in the same bed as her hasn't helped." Weiss sat on her bed and tried to keep her hands on her lap and away from her ponytail, which she failed to do. "I was just hoping that it would go away. I mean, it couldn't have been anything serious, or at least it shouldn't have been, but this… this crush is just growing instead. Just being in the same room as her makes me feel like I'm going to suffocate and I can't even think straight." Weiss forced herself to stop playing with her hair. "I just don't know what to do."

Blake took a deep breath. The situation was delicate enough that just one wrong word could ruin all she had hoped to accomplish. Keeping her tone neutral, and making sure to look Weiss in the eye, Blake said, "You know what you have to do now, right?"

Weiss shook her head.

"You have to tell Ruby."

Blake doubted that she could get the same expression if she suggested that they burn down an orphanage.

"That is out of the question!" Weiss was on her feet and pacing in the blink of an eye. "No, Ruby can never learn about this! I'll just hurt her if she ever knew and it would ruin the team dynamic if she found out and did you ever notice that tiny little smile she always wears?" Weiss pointed to her own mouth for emphasis. "That will go away if I say anything and I don't want that to happen because it'll ruin one of the high points of my day!" Weiss stood in the center of the room, face flushed and gasping like she had run a marathon.

Blake wanted to mention that Ruby mostly wore that smile when Weiss was around. "So you don't want to say anything to Ruby because you're afraid of rejection?" Blake drawled.

"Not only that," Weiss said. She paused and opened her mouth a few times as she tried to force out what she wanted to say. Before she could, the door opened and a dejected Ruby Rose shuffled in. Weiss pressed her lips into a thin line, but her face was still flushed from the conversation. Blake smirked.

Ruby's silver eyes immediately locked onto Weiss and that same smile that melted Weiss' heart appeared. "Hey."

"Hi."

The two stood still awkwardly, blushing, staring.

Blake wanted to yell at them.

"I gotta go somewhere," Weiss said and was out of the room before anyone could react.

"Weiss," Ruby said, reaching out to stop the heiress, but she was too late. Her hand full of emptiness, Ruby whispered, "Wait."

Her arm flopped back to her side and she fell on her bed. Blake noted that Ruby had buried her face in Weiss' pillow.

Thanks to her Faunus heritage, Blake could pick out the tiny sobs coming from Ruby. The sound made her throat tighten. Was this all because of her? Had she set her teammates—her _friends_—up for this sort of torture? She almost wished Yang would enter, just to see what Ruby was going through, just so Blake could finally be on the receiving end of the blonde's threat.

Blake cleared her throat, which made Ruby jump. "Uh," she began. "Is something wrong?"

Ruby nodded, unable to speak. She wiped her nose on her sleeve and rubbed her eyes. Blake frowned when she saw how puffy Ruby's eyes were. Maybe Weiss had been right that day when they were arguing over the White Fang. Maybe she really was a scoundrel. Her bow twitched.

"It hurts," Ruby said. Her voice made it sound like she had scoured her throat with sandpaper.

"What does?" Blake moved over to Ruby's bed and sat next to her team leader. Ruby immediately wrapped her in a hug. Blake repressed the shudder as she thought of Ruby's snot-covered sleeve on her back and returned the gesture.

"My heart." Ruby sniffed loudly and started crying again. "Blake, what's wrong with me? Am I going to die?" The redhead pulled away and added, her voice cracking, "I don't want to die, but it hurts so much."

The look in those silver eyes was one of pure misery. Blake pulled Ruby close, but mostly so she wouldn't have to see that pained expression again. "How long has this been going on?" Blake whispered.

"Before my bed fell." Ruby's grip started to hurt, but Blake stayed quiet. She knew she deserved it. "It only hurts this bad sometimes." Ruby took a long, shuddering breath. "Where's Weiss? She was here not too long ago, right?"

Blake rubbed a hand on Ruby's back, hoping to make the girl relax. "She was. Why do you ask?"

"Because the pain only goes away when she's around."

Blake pulled away from the hug and tried to offer a smile. She longed to tell Ruby that Weiss felt the same way, but she knew that was something the two would have to confess to each other. Instead, she said, "Ruby, you're not dying." Seeing the girl's mood instantly brighten, Blake added, "It just sounds like you're developing a crush."

Ruby sniffed loudly and mumbled, "That's what Yang said."

Blake scrunched her nose. "Really, Ruby; that joke never makes any sense."

"No, that's what she actually said." Ruby's brow furrowed. "Does a crush feel like your heart is full of broken glass?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Because I've never had something that feels like this before. Yang said it sounds like a crush." More tears fell down Ruby's face and she turned her red face away. "It feels terrible. I don't like it," she whined.

"Have you tried telling Weiss about this?" Blake asked before she could stop herself.

Ruby shook her head. "I can't. I mean, I wish I could, but that'd be really awkward because we're both partners and we're stuck together for our whole time at Beacon, so yeah…" Ruby trailed off and looked away. "I really want to, though."

Blake looked around the room. A question dangled on the tip of her tongue that she really wanted to ask, but it could also ruin the conversation. However, the combined exhaustion from Yang's reprimands and Weiss' confession also made Blake want to be blunt. Throwing caution to the wind, she said, "So, the fact that you're both girls…"

"I know that's not an issue."

"Oh?" Had she missed something crucial?

"Yeah." Ruby sniffed loudly. "I noticed when the beds had first fallen, and we were talking about where we would all sleep." A weak chuckle escaped Ruby. "And then you tried really hard to get her in your bed, but you looked like you wanted to die when you were holding her. Weiss was really getting into it, and she was looking right at me the whole time." Ruby's voice had slowly shifted towards a whisper as she spoke. When she was done, neither girl knew what to say.

Blake couldn't tell whether she should be happy or sad. Her sacrifice had not been in vain, but that sort of attention had made Weiss hot under the collar. Blake suddenly felt like taking a shower, but only after Ruby had been helped. Her eyes went to the Grimm Studies book on her desk and an idea started to form. "Why don't you just treat this like a fight?"

"A fight?" Ruby's hushed, embarrassed tone was instantly replaced with curiosity. If Blake could turn the problem into something that Ruby knew how to deal with, maybe the redhead would be able to help herself.

"Sure. You know all about fighting Grimm. You just need to treat your doubts like they're the enemy." Blake internally yelled at herself for her poor delivery. She massaged her temples and said, "What I'm trying to say is that you are often confident in combat. If you can carry that confidence to talking to Weiss, then you shouldn't have a problem, right?"

Ruby rubbed her eyes. "I guess so."

Blake scooted away from Ruby. She pumped a fist in the air and excitedly said, "That's the spirit. Now go get her!"

"You're right!" Ruby said, energy already flowing back into her words. She jumped off the bed. "Thanks a lot, Blake! For everything." Ruby ran up to her desk and pulled something out of one of the drawers. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got an heiress to find!" Ruby exploded in a shower of rose petals.

Blake felt a sense of warmth spread through her body and she offered herself an imaginary pat on the back. Maybe it would be worth all of the tears if it meant that the two partners could share a meaningful relationship. Blake was about to select a book to read when she realized she was not alone.

Yang stood in the doorway, eyes glazed but focused. They flickered between lilac and red, and the blonde had her arms crossed. "Good job," she said without emotion. She took a step forward and hissed, "But the offer still stands."

"Do you think you can stop with these threats?" Blake had said it in a harsher tone than she had intended. Hearing both Ruby's and Weiss' confessions had drained her and she didn't want to put up with any sort of posturing.

Yang was before her in an instant. Her eyes were a solid red. "That's really funny," she said. "Maybe you should've gone into stand-up comedy instead."

The blonde stormed out of the dorm. Blake blinked and sat still for a few minutes. She randomly chose a book and opened it to a random page. Her hands were shaking. She turned on a light and forced herself to focus on the words, and not on how fast her heart was racing.

Ruby had gone all around Beacon's campus only to find Weiss in the center of it. She stood there, alone, looking at the statue of the triumphant warriors standing over a fallen Grimm. Ruby paused to compose herself, running a hand through her hair even though she didn't have a mirror. She was about to start walking towards Weiss when she remembered to pull the gift box out of one of the pouches on her waist.

Weiss didn't turn as Ruby stood right next to her. They both looked over the statue, into the weathered, stone eyes of the great warriors. Ruby's eyes drifted to the vibrant eyes of the great warrior next to her. The redhead ran her dry tongue over her teeth. She needed to break the ice, but words were starting to fail her. She swallowed. Weiss didn't look like she was willing to speak first. Ruby reached into the depths of her brain and latched onto the first word she could find.

"Hello."

She wanted to run and hide. She kept her eyes focused on the statue instead.

"Hi," Weiss replied.

"So, missed you back there. This where you had to go?" Ruby asked. She ran her thumb over the box she held behind her back.

"Yeah, I uh," Weiss put a hand over eyes. "I just needed some air."

Ruby took a deep breath. "Perfect night for that. Not too cold, not too warm. Just right."

"I agree."

Silence. Ruby spared Weiss another glance, only to catch the heiress looking at her. "What are you doing out here, Ruby?"

Ruby pulled the box out from behind. "Well, when I was with Yang the other day, I saw this place and, well," she offered Weiss the gift box, "I got you this."

Weiss blinked and took the package. Her fingers brushed against Ruby's, and the contact sent a shiver up the redhead's spine. The heiress examined the simple package, turned it over in her hands, and then peeled off the piece of tape that kept it closed. Ruby bit her lip. Weiss reached in and pushed away the tissue paper inside to reveal the coffee mug.

An amused smile spread across Weiss' lips. She pulled the plain, white mug out and read the words Ruby had chosen aloud. "'Number one teammate.' Wow, Ruby, I don't know what to say."

Weiss put the mug back in the box. Ruby had never seen Weiss smile so much, but this time, it didn't creep her out. Weiss said, "Thank you. Thank you very much."

Ruby rubbed the back of her head to distract herself from her blushing. "Aw, geez, Weiss, it was nothing."

Weiss looked at the box in her hands. She bit her lip and Ruby felt a surge of panic. Had she done something wrong? Maybe she should've gotten the mug with the gold rim instead of the plain white mug.

All of the fears Ruby had were banished when she registered that something warm was pressing against her cheek. When her eyes focused, she saw Weiss was moving back. When had she gotten so close? Ruby's hand instinctively slapped against the spot Weiss had just kissed. It was still warm and wet. Ruby was about to ask what just happened when Weiss turned away.

"Thanks again for the gift, Ruby."

"Wait!" Ruby shouted and grabbed Weiss' hand, cutting off the heiress' escape.

Weiss took a deep breath. Ruby could see that the tips of the heiress' ears had turned red. When she spoke, her voice was shaking. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I shouldn't have done that. I'll make sure that I never lose control like that again."

Ruby blinked. Why was Weiss apologizing? Was she expecting to be yelled at? "Weiss, I'm not mad with you." She tried to swallow and said, "I actually really liked it."

She felt the heiress deflate, but she didn't turn to look at Ruby. "It shouldn't have happened."

The words pierced Ruby's heart and she almost let go. Her head swam, just like the first day of classes. Why was Weiss being so cold? Ruby asked, "Why not?"

"Because it was wrong!" Weiss stamped a foot on the ground. "What do you want me to do now, Ruby? Just because I kissed you, should I now get on my knees and declare my undying love for you?" Weiss shook her head. "You don't even know what love is like, do you?"

"Yes, I do," Ruby said.

"If you did, you wouldn't be saying any of this to me," Weiss snapped. She closed her eyes when she saw the pain on Ruby's face. "If people found out I was… like that, and if I dated a girl, there would be so many consequences. The Schnee name would have a blemish, one that could hurt my parents' business, and I don't want that. You don't want that." Weiss cleared her throat to keep it from wavering. She tightened her grip on Ruby's hand and lowered her voice.

"You are a smart, quirky, hyperactive girl with a very big heart. You will have no problem finding someone else who can… who can give you more. I'm sorry." Weiss gave the hand one last squeeze before letting go.

Weiss should have known that Ruby would hold on.

"Weiss," the redhead said, voice shaking, "was that supposed to make me feel better?"

The heiress stiffened. "Let me go, Ruby."

"No!" Tears fell freely from Ruby's silver eyes and dampened her cloak. Despite that, Weiss saw the same steel in Ruby's eyes that was always there in the training room, when the redhead couldn't conceive of losing. The only thing missing was that confident, little smile. Instead, Ruby had gritted her teeth as if she was hanging on for dear life.

"I'm not going to let go of you because this whole time you've only been thinking about what your parents want! Why can't you just live for yourself and be happy for a change?"

Ruby looked down at their hands, the fire gone from her voice. "You are strong and smart. You shouldn't have a problem being successful on your own, right? And maybe… maybe you could set some time away for us."

Weiss cursed her weakening resolve.

Ruby tentatively brought Weiss' hand up to her lips, giving the heiress plenty of time to slip out of her grip. Receiving no resistance, Ruby gently kissed Weiss' hand. It was warm and silky smooth, but like the rest of Weiss, lean and full of power. Ruby stared at the hand when she was done and was able to see the outline of her lips clearly on the pale skin. When she sought Weiss' ice blue eyes, she saw that they were full of tears that were begging to be released.

"Why did you have to say that, you dunce? Why couldn't you just let me go?"

"Because I love you, Weiss," Ruby said without thinking. Putting the words out into the open lifted a weight off of Ruby's chest, and she looked down at Weiss' hands again as if she was afraid that the girl would vanish.

Weiss' grip loosened for a moment, which almost caused Ruby's heart to stop, but tightened immediately afterwards. She put her free hand under Ruby's chin and forced the redhead to look up and into her eyes. The tears had started falling.

"Ruby," she said, "I'm scared. I-I want to take this chance with you, but what if it doesn't work? What if something goes wrong? I mean, we're going to be Huntresses. We're going to fight Grimm for most of our lives. I don't think I could stand to lose you."

The joy rising in Ruby's chest forced all of her tears out. She wrapped Weiss in the strongest hug she could muster, which the heiress was quick to return. Ruby felt the gift box against her back and Weiss' tears staining her shoulder. The redhead noticed that her own tears had left their mark on the heiress' jacket. Ruby wasn't surprised to find Weiss was shaking.

Leaning close, Ruby whispered, "We'll just have to make it work, then. I've thought about your family and us becoming Huntresses and all that. So much that I've stayed up whole nights. And each time, right before I'm able to close my eyes and finally sleep, I always found myself thinking that I would be willing to stand by your side and take on anything in the world. Between the two of us, nothing would ever stand a chance." Encouraged by the rising joy, Ruby risked giving Weiss a small kiss under her ear. "You know I'll never let you go, Weiss Schnee."

The heiress sniffed loudly and had stopped sobbing. "I know you won't, Ruby Rose."

Ruby wasn't able to see the large smile that spread across Weiss' face, but she did feel the heiress' heart speed up. Ruby closed her eyes and rested her chin on Weiss' shoulder. Together, Weiss led the two into a slow dance in the dark courtyard, keeping pace with the rhythm of their shared heartbeats.

Weiss eked back into consciousness. Ruby had clung tightly to her while they slept, and the younger girl was as warm as a furnace. Weiss felt a blush form, but she kept her eyes closed, preferring to enjoy the sensation for as long as possible. She had never woken up in the arms of someone else, and she found that she liked it. She managed to snuggle closer to her little heater. Any possibility of retreat was cut off as Ruby subconsciously tightened her grip. The heiress had just enough room to rearrange herself so that Ruby's head was in the crook of her neck.

The younger girl's slow, regular breathing brushed over Weiss' skin. Weiss buried her nose in Ruby's messy hair and inhaled. She noted with amusement that Ruby even smelled like a rose.

The team leader stirred under Weiss' ministrations. The heiress felt Ruby's eyelashes open and close rapidly before closing again.

"Oh good," Ruby said, though Weiss felt the words vibrate through her body. "I thought that was all a dream." She shifted to look Weiss in the eyes. "Good morning," Ruby offered with a tired smile.

Weiss smiled when she saw the lively spark in Ruby's silver eyes. If she could wake up to those eyes every day, she would be happy. "Good morning."

Ruby darted forward and planted a kiss on Weiss' jaw. She had aimed for the heiress' lips, but Weiss had jerked away. "You're not getting that until you brush your teeth," Weiss huffed.

Ruby pouted. "But Weiss, I love yoooouuuuu!" she whined.

Weiss shook her head. "I love you too, but-" she was cut off by Ruby quickly climbing on top of her. The younger girl flashed a smile as she straddled the heiress.

"Weiss, as your team leader," Ruby said, gradually lowering herself until their noses touched, "I order you to accept my stinky kisses."

"This is an abuse of power!" Weiss said, moving her head so that Ruby kissed her on the cheek.

"You know you love it," Ruby teased. She moved in for the kiss as Weiss was busy thinking of something to say.

The heiress did balk at the taste, but she did not hesitate to return the gesture. Ruby's warmth poured into her, chasing away the chill that had always gripped her heart. She wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck and kept the girl close. A part of her remembered that, in order to properly kiss, you had to close your eyes. Weiss kept hers open, just as Ruby had. For that moment, her world was reduced to silver and roses.

When Ruby pulled back for breath, Weiss sat up and flipped Ruby on her back. The team leader gave a surprised yelp as the tables turned. However, when Weiss leaned in, Ruby sat up to meet her half way. The kiss was no less heated than the one before. Weiss dared to open her mouth just a bit and was immediately greeted by the tip of Ruby's tongue. The heiress felt like her head was spinning from the sensation, or maybe she had just forgotten to breathe. She broke the kiss but maintained eye contact with Ruby.

The two were gasping and flushed. Weiss' long, unbound hair fell over her shoulders and framed Ruby's face perfectly. Neither of them wanted to break the moment. But silence couldn't last forever, and eventually Ruby opened her mouth.

"I forgot my sister was still in the room," she whispered.

Weiss almost giggled. "Me too."

"Think she'll be upset?"

"About what?"

"Seeing you on top of me."

"She'll just have to deal with it, because I do not want to move." Weiss brushed her lips against Ruby's.

Ruby smiled. "Morning kisses aren't so bad after all, huh?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes and slowly said, "I could get used to them, but don't think you're not going to brush your teeth."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, princess," she drawled. Then she perked up and said, "So, what do you want to do today?"

Weiss shrugged. "Well, with it being Saturday, we could go into town. Maybe see a movie."

Ruby groaned, "But that would involve getting up."

"It would."

"So why don't we just stay in bed?"

Weiss thought for a moment before nodding. "I like that plan."

Ruby pulled Weiss back down and rolled the heiress off of her. They both lay on their sides and Ruby brushed Weiss' hair away from her face. It wasn't long before they both fell back asleep in each other's arms.

Blake had agreed to meet Yang in a café in the middle of downtown Vale. The black haired girl had thought that the surly blonde would be less willing to cause a scene in public. Blake sipped her tea and shifted in her seat. She was loathe to look at Yang, but forced herself to do so. Thankfully, Yang's eyes had maintained their normal lilac color.

"I don't know if I should still be upset with you," Yang said. She tapped the side of her gigantic coffee cup. When Blake had said she was buying, Yang had bought the biggest item on the menu. Blake's wallet had cried.

"I understand," Blake said. She tried to keep herself from choking. "I manipulated your sister's feelings and I overstepped my bounds."

Yang's gaze bored through Blake. "Yeah, you did." She took a long sip of her drink. When she put the cup down, she continued. "You know my sister's happiness means a lot to me, and the fact that you went behind my back like that still irritates me, but she is happy now." She took another drink. "The ends still don't justify the means, Blake. You shouldn't have done that."

Blake swallowed. She knew Yang was right. Under her bow, she felt her ears lower. "So what happens now?"

Yang raised an eyebrow. She stared long and hard at Blake before saying, "I imagine I'm going to stay mad for a while. Then we're going to go back to being friends." Blake was about to let out the breath she had been holding when Yang added, "That being said, I've been feeling a little tense lately. How about we finish these drinks and then we hit the sparring ring?"

"I have an assignment I have to work on." It wasn't a lie, either. Blake had spent so much time wondering about how to get Ruby and Weiss together that one of her due dates had managed to sneak up on her.

Yang leaned forward. "No you don't." She picked up her cup and managed to empty it in one gulp. She wiped her lips and said, "Let's go."

Blake closed her eyes and got up from her chair. She knew that she deserved the pummeling she was about to receive, even though she planned to do everything in her power to not be turned into a bloodstain in the sparring ring.

As she left the café with Yang, her mind flickered back to the sight she had woken up to. Ruby and Weiss had still been sleeping, but they had been holding on to each other like they couldn't bear the thought of ever letting go. Blake managed a smile, feeling a warm sense of calm and happiness as she walked towards her unofficial execution at Beacon.


End file.
